Lena Rivera
Expressive or painterly painting is a style that celebrates the materials used to create it, such as paint and the brush, rather than aiming for a smooth, glossy, or photorealistic finish. This style is defined by visible brushstrokes, rich texture, and loose techniques that highlight the artist's hand. It is the opposite of linear or tight painting, which focuses on neatness and control. Painterly painting emerged during the Impressionist and Post-Impressionist periods, with artists like Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, and Vincent van Gogh using quick, visible strokes to capture light and colour. Expressionist painters such as Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, and Jackson Pollock continued to develop this style, focusing on conveying emotion through spontaneous brushstrokes and bright colours. Techniques for achieving an expressive or painterly style include using a palette knife, working with bold strokes, reducing visible details, and embracing the marks made by the brush.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Brushstrokes | Thick, visible, bold, loose, energetic, erratic, quick, spontaneous |
| Colours | Bright, vibrant, natural, blended, mixed |
| Details | Hinted at, not distinguishable, left out, not filled in |
| Edges | Softer, blurred, disappear, bleed into each other |
| Expression | Of the artist's emotions, not the subject's |
| Finish | Less finished, not smooth, not glossy, rough, hurried |
| Light | Reduced, dim |
| Mood | Emotional, alive |
| Painting tools | Brush, palette knife |
| Perspective | Established with texture |
| Technique | Painterly, expressive, loose, impressionist, expressionist, abstract expressionist, impasto, scumbling, wet-on-wet, alla prima |
| Texture | Rich, visible, thick, natural |
| Tone | Graduated |
| Work surface | Easel |
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What You'll Learn
Use visible brushstrokes
Painting in an expressive or painterly style is about celebrating the materials used to create it, namely the paint and the brush. This style of painting is defined by visible brushstrokes, rich texture, and loose techniques that highlight the artist's hand.
To achieve this style, it is important to embrace the process and use your brush as a tool for expression, rather than just control. This means experimenting, pushing boundaries, and not obsessing over small details. It is about trusting your instincts, working quickly, and making bold choices.
The key to achieving visible brushstrokes is to work with a loose brushwork style. This can be influenced by a variety of factors, including the type of brush, the surface you are painting on, and the speed of your brushstrokes. Using a wider brush in relation to your canvas size will encourage bigger, bolder marks, which is perfect for a loose painting style. Painting on a textured surface can also help to create more dynamic and irregular strokes, as the canvas grips the brush and breaks up the paint.
Working with faster brushstrokes can create energy and movement in your painting, resulting in looser and more expressive brushwork. Slowing down for specific details and then speeding up for broader areas can create a dynamic balance. It is also important to experiment with different grips and angles to achieve a range of effects.
By focusing on these techniques, you can create visible brushstrokes that add expression, emotion, and a sense of movement to your painting, embracing the marks made by your brush and celebrating the process of creation.
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Embrace the painting process
Try using a palette knife instead of a brush for a choppier look, or use it to remove paint. Be expressive with your colour mixing and don't be afraid to interpret and experiment with colours. If you want to evoke a particular feeling, choose a colour scheme before you start. You can also try working in reduced light, or without your glasses or contact lenses, so that you can't see every detail sharply. This will help you to focus on the overall shapes and tones rather than getting caught up in the details.
Another way to embrace the painting process is to stand up while you work. This will give you the freedom to move around and encourage you to be more gestural with your paint applications. You'll be more likely to stand back and look at the whole picture, rather than focusing on tiny details. You can also try holding your brush or pencil in your non-dominant hand, which will reduce muscle memory and help you create more expressive marks.
Finally, don't be afraid to leave stuff out. Our brains are great at filling in missing details and interpreting shapes, so leave some things unsaid and allow the viewer to engage with your painting. Focus on capturing the essence of your subject rather than getting caught up in precision and perfection.
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Focus on emotion and movement
Expressive and painterly styles of painting are defined by visible brushstrokes, rich texture, and loose techniques that highlight the artist's hand. This style of painting is the opposite of "linear" or "tight" painting, which aims for smooth surfaces, clean edges, and fine detail.
To focus on emotion and movement in your paintings, consider the following:
Let go of control
Painterly painting is about letting go of the need for control and focusing on feeling, gesture, and energy. Stand up at an easel to encourage movement around your canvas and prevent you from focusing on tiny details. Use your non-dominant hand to reduce muscle memory and create more expressive marks.
Work with texture
Use texture to create areas of interest and establish perspective. Thick texture can make objects appear closer, adding depth to your painting. Tools like large brushes or palette knives can help create texture, as can methods such as impasto, scumbling, and wet-on-wet painting.
Focus on feeling
If you want to evoke a feeling from your painting, choose a colour scheme before you start. Colours can be used expressively to convey emotion, and you can always add an element of artistic interpretation when mixing colours. For example, a limited, cool colour palette of greens and blues with a small pop of yellow can evoke a feeling of harmony and calm.
Leave stuff out
Our brains are adept at filling in missing details and interpreting shapes. Leaving stuff out engages the viewer with a painting and allows them to feel it, not just look at it. Focus on capturing the essential bits, such as strong shapes, colours, and tones, and add suggested detail on top.
Work fast and loose
Painterly painting is about working fast and loose, using bold strokes, and letting go of the urge to make everything neat or precise. Expressionist painters use spontaneous brushstrokes and bright colours to bring depth and emotion to their work. Don't be afraid to let your emotions pour through the brush—it's not about painting what you see, but what you feel.
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Work with different tools
Painting in an expressive or painterly style is about embracing the materials used to create the artwork, such as the brush and paint, and the marks they make. This style of painting focuses on emotion, texture, and movement, rather than sharp outlines, clean details, and lifelike accuracy.
Use a variety of tools
Painterly artists often use a range of tools to create visible marks and build texture. This can include brushes, palette knives, paint knives, sponges, and even fingers or cloths. Each tool will create a different mark and texture, adding depth and interest to the painting.
Experiment with brush sizes
Large brushes can help you achieve bold, expressive strokes, while smaller brushes can be used for finer details or creating texture through small, repetitive marks. Thick, stiff bristles hold more paint and leave bold, textured strokes, which are perfect for expressive work.
Try different painting techniques
Experiment with different techniques such as impasto, scumbling, and wet-on-wet painting. These techniques can create thick, textured strokes, soft textures, and spontaneous brushwork. You can also try using a brush dipped in mineral spirits, turpentine, linseed oil, or walnut oil for a different blending effect.
Use your "wrong" hand
Switching the brush to your non-dominant hand can help reduce muscle memory and create more expressive and less controlled marks. This technique can feel awkward at first, but with practice, it can lead to more fluid and natural mark-making.
Reduce visual information
Try working in reduced light or removing your glasses to soften the details you see. This can help you focus on shapes, colours, and tones rather than getting caught up in precise details.
Leave stuff out
You don't need to include every detail in your painting. Leaving some things out can engage the viewer and allow them to interpret the painting. Focus on capturing the essential elements, such as strong shapes, colours, and tones, and then add suggested details on top.
Remember, expressive and painterly styles are about embracing the process, the materials, and your unique artistic voice. So, don't be afraid to experiment with different tools and techniques to find what works best for you.
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Experiment with colour
Painting in an expressive or painterly style is about embracing the process of creation and letting go of the need for control. It is a style that celebrates the materials used and the artist's hand, with visible brushstrokes, textures, and layers of paint. While it may appear messy or unfinished, it is a style that captures the raw energy and movement of the artist.
When experimenting with colour in an expressive or painterly style, there are several techniques and approaches to consider:
Colour Mixing
Be expressive and interpretative when mixing colours. You are not limited to copying the colours you see in real life. Choosing a colour scheme beforehand can help evoke a specific feeling from your painting. For example, an oil painting by Monet used only greens and blues with a small pop of yellow, creating a feeling of harmony and calm. You can also try mixing all your colours before you start painting, as stopping to mix colours can disrupt your flow.
Limited Colour Palettes
Using a limited colour palette can help create a cohesive and striking painting. Research and experiment with different colour combinations to find the ones that resonate with you and your desired emotional effect.
Light and Shadow
Play with lighting conditions to change the way you perceive colours and details. Try painting in reduced light or with your glasses off to soften the details and create a more abstract style. Alternatively, light your subject from one side to create strong cast and form shadows, reducing the amount of detail you see.
Leaving Stuff Out
Our brains are adept at filling in missing details and interpreting shapes. Leaving stuff out engages the viewer and adds a layer of interpretation and depth to your painting. Focus on capturing the essence of your subject with strong shapes, colours, and tones, and then add suggested details on top.
Colour and Emotion
Use colour expressively to convey emotion and depth in your painting. Expressionist painters like Edvard Munch, Wassily Kandinsky, and Egon Schiele often distorted forms, exaggerated colours, and allowed their emotions to pour through the brush. They focused on painting what they felt rather than what they saw.
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Frequently asked questions
Painterly painting is defined by visible brushstrokes, rich texture, and expressive, loose techniques that highlight the artist’s hand. It is the opposite of "linear" or "tight" painting, where artists aim for smooth surfaces, clean edges, and fine detail. Expressionist painting is about taking what you see in the world and bringing depth and emotion to the painting through spontaneous brushstrokes and bright colours.
Try using a palette knife instead of a brush for a choppier look, or use it to remove paint. Work with bold strokes and don't worry about making everything neat or precise. Use texture to create areas of interest and establish perspective. You can also try working in reduced light or taking off your glasses so you can't see your subject or canvas in sharp detail.
Some famous painterly artists include Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet, Francis Bacon, Henri Matisse, and Paul Cézanne. Expressionist painters include Matisse, Georges Rouault, Max Beckmann, and Pablo Picasso.
